Manzanillo, Museo Historico La Demajagua

La Demajagua was the sugar mill estate of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes. On October 10, 1868 Cespedes started the First War of Independence against Spain by freeing his slaves. Besides resistance against Spanish rule, slavery was the big issue in Cuba. A lot of wealthy farmers wanted independence for Cuba, but they didn't wanted the end of slavery. Due to this a lot of farmers helped the Spanish to prevent the abolition of slavery. For the same reason the front against the Spanish was not really united. The war dragged on for 10 years. In 1878 a pact was signed which granted the rebels amnesty. In the meantime Cespedes died in a Spanish ambush. 

At La Demajagua you can visit a small museum and some remains of the sugar mill, including the bell to call the slaves. The bell was used to announce Cuba's Independence.

A peculiar thing is a big palm with a plaque in memory of the first Cuban (and Latin American) cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez.